Tobacco cutting machine



Sept 9, 1941. w. KRAUSE 2,2555% TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE Filed 001;. 4, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 W/Zly Mmus:

Sept 9, 1941.

W. KRAUSE TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 4, 19 38 BY P Sept. 9, 1941. w. KRAUSE TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 4, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 av P.

wv-ro KN Ev- W. KRAUSE TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE Sept. 9, 1941.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 4, 1958 Fig.5

Patented Sept. 9, 1941 TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE Willy Krause, Radebeul, Germany, assignor to Universelle Cigarettenmaschinen-Fabrik J. C. Muller & (30., Dresden, Germany Application October 4, 1938. Serial No. 233,151 In Germany November 11, 1937 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a tobacco cutting machine.

The type of machine to which the invention relates is that in which tobacco is fed between feeding and compressing rollers and is cut off by a knife situated at the exit side of the rollers. When such a machine is operated it is necessary to have a definite quantity of tobacco present between the rolls in order to have proper cutting. An insufiicient quantity of tobacco will yield before the knife so that a crushing rather than a cutting will take place. Similarly, unless a sufiicient quantity of tobacco is present the necessary compression cannot be obtained. It has been customary in operating one of these cutting machines for the operators to move the rollers manually until sufficient tobacco arrives between the rollers. The rollers are very heavy and hard to turn so that the efforts of several men are frequently required.

When a machine is stopped the tobacco cannot be left under heavy compression without damage so that the machine must be reversed in order to remove the tobacco from the rollers. This also is usually done by hand and is a very heavy and laborious job.

An object of the present invention is to provide a control for the tobacco cutting machine which will make it possible to feed tobacco initially through the rollers without moving the knife or cutter.

A further object is to provide means for performing this initial feeding regulated so as'to be operative only when the cutter is in operative position.

A further object is to provide in addition to the ordinary intermittent roller feed a selectively operable continuous feed for the rollers.

A still further object is to control the supply of power to the normal cutter and roller drive so that the normal drive will be maintained inoperative while the continuous feeding drive is operating.

A still further object is to provide a second drive for the rollers so that they may be driven either forwardly or reversely.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation looking at the right side of Figure 1 showing parts in dotted line.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the continuous driving gearing.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the gearing of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the main drive control, and

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the control of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the ordinary machine comprises a large roller l and a series of smaller rollers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 located above the larger roller and spaced therefrom. These rollers are all interconnected and adapted to be driven from the roller I. The manner of their interconnection is old and well understood in the art and has been omitted from these drawings to avoid confusion. Tobacco is fed into the channel which lies between the rollers. The rollers rotate in the direction of the arrows in Figure 2 and tobacco is fed forwardly and simultaneously compressed. At the forward edge of the compression channel a knife 8| is carried in a frame 9 for reciprocating movement through the compressed tobacco T as shown in Figure 1. The frame 9 moves in suitable vertical guides to control the position of the knife. The frame and knife are reciprocated by means of the connecting rods 8 which are connected by suitable bearings with the throws in a crankshaft l which is supported in a number of bearings l on the frame of the machine. The shaft 1 carries the main drive for the cutting machine and is supplied with power from the motor ll] through the motor pulley II, belt [2 and grooved pulley l3. The pulley I3 is mounted freely on theshaft l but may be connected thereto by means of a clutch the control end of which is shown at I4. The motor I9 is preferably a reversible electric motor. For purposes of the normal drive which is operated by cranks it does not matter in which direction the motor 10 revolves.

At the end of the shaft 1' opposite to the clutch M a disc [5 is keyed. This disc carries a crank pin [6 to'which a connecting rod i1 is attached. A shaft I9 is mounted longitudinally of the machine and carries freely a pawl and ratchet drive indicated at l8. The ratchet is drivingly connected to one half 20 of a toothed clutch, as shown in Figure 2. When the shaft 1 rotates the disc I5 is carried with it and the connecting rod I1 is reciprocated. This produces a step by step or intermittent rotation of the clutch member 25. The other half of the toothed clutch 2| is keyed drivingly to the shaft I9. The member 26 is slidably mounted on the shaft and may be displaced axially to engage with the other half 2| and so transmit its intermittent rotation to the shaft. The shaft l9 also drives a worm 22 which meshes with a worm gear on the end of the roller I. Intermittent motion transmitted through the clutch 20, 2! is then transferred to the roller I and from the roller l to the smaller rollers so that an intermittent forwarding of tobacco is produced. Simultaneously with the feeding the reciprocating knife 8| is moved so that its motion does not interfere with the advance of the tobacco T.

As explained, the machine must be started and run for several revolutions before a sufficient quantity of tobacco reaches the position under the knife to insure a good out. It is necessary that the knife or cutter be withdrawn from in front of the tobacco channel during this process as otherwise the travel of tobacco is impeded. The alternate drive according to the present invention consists in a transverse shaft 26 which is mounted in the machine frame and carries the pulley 25 which is driven from the power pulley l l by the belt 24. This drive is best shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. At the opposite end of the shaft 26 from the pulley 25 a worm 2! is keyed, as best shown in Figures 3 and 4. The worm 21 meshes with the worm gear 28 which is keyed to the shaft 29 retained between bearings 36 and 3|. The shaft 29 has also keyed to it the pinion 32 which meshes with the spur gear .33. The rear end of the shaft 19 carries freely the gear 34 which meshes with the spur 33 and which has an enlarged hub terminating in the toothed part 35 which is one half of a clutch for driving the shaft l6. Referring again to Figure 2 the second part 46 of the clutch is slidably keyed to the shaft ill for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with the other half 35.

The motor it drives the pulley 25 constantly so that half of the clutch 35 is constantly rotated. When the other half of the clutch 46 is placed in engagement the shaft l9 and worm 22 are rotated constantly so that a continuous movement is imparted to the roller train. Since the motor itself is reversible the roller train may be driven in either direction so that tobacco may be fed initially in order to accumulate the proper quantity beforestarting the knife, or tobacco may be withdrawn as when the machine is stopped for any length of time.

Of course it is necessary that only one of the drives for the rollers be employed at a single time. This is regulated as follows:

The control handle 36 is the selector for the drive. This handle is pivoted at 37 on the machine and carries at its lower end the rod 36. One end of the rod 38 is pivoted at 45 to the lever 4| which in turn is pivoted at 44. The lower end of the lever 4i engages the slidable clutch half 26 so as to move it into engagement with the other clutch half 2| when the handle 36 is swung to the right in Figure 2. The opposite end of the rod 36 is pivoted at 42 to a lever 43 which in turn is pivoted at 45 and has its lower end engaging with the slidable clutch member 45. In order to engage the clutch 35, 46 it is necessary to swing the handle to the left in Figure 2. By this provision engagement of one clutch necessitates disengagement of the other.

A further control is required to prevent the connection of the continuous drive through the clutch 35, 46 when the cutter 8| is over the tobacco channel. Figures 1 and 2 show this arrangement. The lower end of the lever 4| is provided with the extension 43. At 49 on the extension 48 a bell crank lever 55 is pivoted. The bell crank 55 is itself pivoted at 5i to the machine. At 52 a connecting rod 53 is pivoted to the bell crank 56. The lower end of the rod 53 is in turn pivoted to a bell crank lever 54 which is pivoted at 55 to the machine. The free arm of the lever 54 is provided with a slot 5i which receives the pin 56 of the blocking slide 58. The slide 58 is mounted in the guide 59. The inner side of the disc I5 is provided with a recess 66 at one point thereof to receive the end of the slide 58. The position of the recess 65 is such that it lies opposite the slide 58 only when the cutter BI is in fully raised position. The slide 58 is advanced towards the disc l5 when the selector handle 36 is swung to the left in Figure 2 to engage the clutch 35, 46. If the knife is not in proper position the recess 66 will not appear opposite the slide and its movement together with the movement of the clutch engaging levers will be impeded. Only when the recess is in registry will it be possible to engage the clutch for continuously driving the rollers.

A further control is provided on the machine to prevent accidental engagement of the main driving clutch l4 when the slide 58 is engaged in the recess 65. This device comprises the control lever 6!, shown particularly in Figures 5 and 6. The lever is secured to one end of a shaft 64 which is carried in bearings 55, 65. The opposite end of the shaft 64 carries a link 61 which is pivotally secured to a bar 15) passing through guides 68, 69. The opposite end of the bar 16 is pivoted at E2 to a link 13 which is secured to the short axle "I5 mounted in the bearing 14. The opposite end of the axle 75 carries the link 16 to which is attached a second link TI which connects it to the bell crank lever 18 pivoted at 19. The free end of the lever 16 engages in the groove 66 of the clutch l4 so that swinging of the lever 6| causes sliding of the clutch I4. The upper part of the handle 6! carries an extension 62. The extension 52 is positioned to lie in the path of a stop 63 carried by the extension 48 of the lever 4!. When the clutch 55, 46 is engaged the stop 63 is projected into the path of the extension 62 so that it becomes impossible to swing the handle 6| to engage the main clutch 14.

By the use of the foregoing arrangement the tobacco cutting machine has two drives either of which may be selected for turning the rollers. The electric motor or other drive is reversible so that the continuous roller drive may be in either direction. Inter-relating means is provided which insures that only one drive be connected to the rollers at once. Further means is provided for preventing the engagement of the continuous drive except when the cutter is, in inoperative position. A final device is used which prevents accidental engagement of the main driving clutch when the continuous drive is connected.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco cutting machine comprising feeding and compressing rollers, a shaft drivingly connected to said rollers, intermittent driving means, a clutch between said driving means and said shaft, continuous driving means, a second clutch between said continuous driving means and said shaft, and selecting means interconnecting said clutches and operable to engage either one of said clutches and hold the other of said clutches disengaged.

2. A tobacco cutting machine comprising feeding and compressing rollers, a reciprocable cutter mounted for operation on tobacco passing through said rollers, normal driving means for operating said rollers and cutter, second driving means for operating said rollers alone, means for selectively connecting either of said driving means to said rollers, and means for preventing connection of said second driving means to said rollers except when the cutter is withdrawn from cutting position.

3. A tobacco cutting machine comprising feeding and compressing rollers, a reciprocable cutter mounted for operation on tobacco passing through said rollers, normal means for driving said rollers and reciprocating said cutter, said means including a common power shaft, sec- -ond means for driving said rollers, means for connecting one or the other of said driving means to said rollers, and means including a stop on said common power shaft and a corresponding stop operated by said connecting means to prevent connection of said second driving means to said rollers when said cutter is in cutting position.

4. A tobacco cutting machine comprising feeding and compressing rollers, a reciprocable cutter mounted for operation on tobacco passing through said rollers, a power source, a normal driving means for said rollers and cutter, a releasable means operable to connect said power source and normal driving means, second means for driving said rollers alone, means for connecting either one of said driving means to said rollers, and means for preventing operation of said releasable means to connect the power source andnormal driving means when the said second driving means is connected to said rollers.

5. A tobacco cutting machine comprising feeding and compressing rollers, a reciprocable cutter mounted for operation on tobacco passing through said rollers, a power source, a normal driving means for said rollers and cutter, a releasable means for connecting said power source and normal driving means, second means for driving said rollers, means for connecting either one of said driving means to said rollers, means for preventing connection of said second driving means when said cutter is in cutting position, and means for preventing operation of said releasable means to connect the power source and normal driving means when the said second driving means is connected to said rollers.

6. A tobacco cutting machine comprising feeding and compressing rollers, a reciprocable cutter mounted for operation on tobacco passing through said rollers, a power source, a rotatable crankshaft, connecting rods between said crankshaft and said cutter to reciprocate the cutter upon rotation of the crankshaft, a disc with a crankpin drivingly mounted on said crankshaft, normal driving means for said rollers including a connecting rod connected to said crankpin, second driving means for said rollers, means for selectively connecting one or the other of said driving means to said rollers, inter-relating means including a recess in said disc and a slide for engagement in said recess when said cutter is in inoperative position for preventing operation of said selective means to connect the said second driving means to the rollers except when the cutter is in inoperative position, releasable connecting means between said power source and said crankshaft, and means for operating said releasable connecting means to connect said power source and crankshaft operable only when said second driving means is not connected to said rollers.

WILLY KRAUSE. 

